ASUU Strike: No End In Sight September 14, 2017

ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi and other executivesGbenro Adesina/IbadanHope that the strike action embarked upon by AcademicStaff Union of Universities, ASUU, is about to come to anend appears dashed as congresses of universities metacross the country to deliberate on the recentagreements reached between the leadership of the unionand the Federal Government.Feelers from the congresses that have met indicate thatthe unions were not ready to call of the strike becausethe government is yet to show the necessarycommitment to their plights. For instance, in congressesheld yesterday at the University of Ibadan, UI, and EkitiState University, Ado-Ekiti, EKSU, members of the uniondecided to continue with the strike action on the groundthat the Federal Government’s offers are not acceptableto them. According to reliable sources, the staff are notcomfortable with the fact that only about one of theseven demands, which is the issue of staff schools ofthe universities was convincingly addressed by thegovernment. Government only made promises as regardsthe other demands which do not show any differencefrom what was on ground before the strike.As at the time of filing this report, UI was devoid ofactivities as all unions on campus both academic andnon academic have embarked on indefinite strike.A lecturer from EKSU said, “We have agreed that thestrike must continue until the Federal Government isready to grant our demands in practical way not inpromissory act”.In one of the interaction with the media after the lastmeeting the union had with the government, ASUUPresident, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi said that he couldnot determine when the union would call off its strikeadding that calling off the strike would be determined bythe entire members of the union.